The 50 Best Albums of 2015

Man...I don't know. This was a strange year. It feels like there were a whole lot of "good" to "very good" albums released, but very few "great" to "amazing" ones. The bands or artists who had good momentum leading into their third or fourth albums, seemed to rise to the challenge to make some great records. Some elders showed they could still hold their own, making better than expected records. Then there were some new kids who made some positive noise, and it will be interesting over the next couple years to see what they do with it.

For my part, I started the year once again hoping to focus my listening, by not throwing the net so wide. I listen to less music than some people, but more music than most people. I have become increasingly adept at hearing something quickly and knowing if it is going to work out for me, and moving along. That is not to say some albums don't grow on me in due course, but more than in previous years, there were so many albums this year that my ears thought were cool for a good time...just not a long time. Hence why this fun little project sees us back at a Top 50 this year versus a Top 100. 

Generally speaking, I feel comfortable that my sequencing and ranking methodology up to 50 with any pop culture list, works well and mostly without too much bias or outside influence. After 50, it can get a bit dodgy. So the fact that I really only truly liked about 70 albums this year, made it tricky to get down to 50, but pretty easy to stay inside 100. 

As always, melody, harmony, song craft, attention to detail and listenability generally make these albums winners for me. I could have thrown in a few metal and hip-hop albums I liked in 2015 I suppose, but it would have been disingenuous and only served the purpose of optically balancing the list. Plain and simple, I like well put together songs. They can be guitar songs or synth songs. They can be fuzzy, heavy, or jangly. They can be dreamy, gothy, mathy, quirky or bouncy. 

All I really ever want to hear from an album, are a bunch songs where somewhere cared, someone was honest, and someone gave something a try.

	Artist	Title
50	Ghost Culture	Ghost Culture
49	Metz	II
48	Protomartyr	The Agent Intellect
47	Local H	Hey Killer
46	The Cribs	For All My Sisters
45	Mercury Rev	The Light In You
44	Gaz Coombes	Matador
43	Dave Gahan & Soulsavers	Angels and Ghosts
42	Grimes	Art Angels
41	The Charlatans	Modern Nature
40	New Order	Music Complete
39	PINS	Wild Nights
38	Battles	La Di Da Di
37	Sleater-Kinney	No Cities To Love
36	Godspeed You! Black Emperor	Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress
35	Susanne Sundfor	Ten Love Songs
34	Built To Spill	Untethered Moon
33	Peace	Happy People
32	Low	Ones and Sixes
31	Swervedriver	I Wasn't Born to Love You
30	Veruca Salt	Ghost Notes
29	Tuxedo	Tuxedo
28	Little Boots	Working Girl
27	Blur	The Magic Whip
26	Young Galaxy	Falsework
25	Beach House	Depression Cherry
24	Surfer Blood	1000 Palms
23	Beach House	Thank Your Lucky Stars
22	Yukon Blonde	On Blonde
21	The Libertines	Anthems For Doomed...
20	Wolf Alice	My Love Is Cool
19	Errors	Lease Of Life
18	Kurt Vile	b'lieve i'm goin down...
17	Telekinesis	Ad infinitum
16	Dan Deacon	Gliss Riffer
15	Foals	What Went Down
14	Viet Cong	Viet Cong
13	The Dears	Times Infinity - Volume One
12	Crocodiles	Boys
11	Girls Names	Arms Around A Vision
10	Bjork	Vulnicura
9	Panda Bear	Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper
8	Dutch Uncles	O Shudder
7	Tame Impala	Currents
6	Hot Chip	Why Make Sense?
5	Ceremony	The L-Shaped Man
4	EZTV	Calling Out
3	Lower Dens	Escape From Evil
2	Everything Everything	Get To Heaven
1	Mikal Cronin	MCIII

Top 100 Songs of 2014

Weird year for songs. 2014 felt like a solid year for well rounded and interesting albums, but less so for stand out on their own type tracks. At least more than last year perhaps.

That said, there were still some really fantastic songs written in 2014. I had planned to double or triple up on songs by certain artists, rather than having 100 songs by 100 different artists on this list, but opted for the latter after all.

Probably more songs over 5 minutes than I have had on here in any previous years, but let's not overthink that bit.

This list is also compiled as a playlist here for Rdio users.

	Song	Artist
100	Wonderland	ceo
99	Hang Up	Peter Murphy
98	Nott	Samaris
97	Enemy	Merchandise
96	Feel	The Soft Moon
95	Alone	The Foreign Resort
94	Feel Real	Movement
93	Castles	Glass Towers
92	Silly Games	Tricky
91	Two Weeks	FKA Twigs
90	Turn Me Up	Twin Shadow
89	Deep In My Heart	The Drums
88	Shelter Song	Temples
87	Waterfall	Fear of Men
86	Paper Heart	Chloe Howl
85	Tribe	Theophilus London
84	Illume	Lust For LIfe
83	You've Got A Lot On Your Mind	Sloan
82	Frozen Britain	James
81	Pony Ride	Neil Finn
80	You & I (Forever)	Jessie Ware
79	Frequent Flyer	Chromeo
78	Miko	The Chain Gang of 1974
77	Fall In Love	Phantogram
76	Every Stone	Manchester Orchestra
75	Trainwreck 1979	Death From Above 1979
74	Controller	Cheatahs
73	Left Hand Free	alt-J
72	Simple and Sure	The Pains of Being Pure At Heart
71	Figure It Out	Royal Blood
70	Are You Gonna Be Someone?	Knight
69	Luna	Bombay Bicycle Club
68	Coming Up For Air	Zoot Woman
67	Dancehall Domine	New Pornographers
66	Forever Be	Kelis
65	D.R.E.A.M.	Phraroahe Monch
64	minipops 67	Aphex Twin
63	Coming Down	Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
62	Garden Grays	WIldcat! Wildact!
61	Here So Rain	Black Submarine
60	Satellites	EMA
59	Torrent	Asgeir
58	Daddy's Car	Eno - Hyde
57	Artifice	Sohn
56	This Haze	Patterns
55	Paradise	White Hex
54	After The Disco	Broken Bells
53	West Coast	Lana Del Rey
52	Land Of The Blind	Information Society
51	Spirals	Teledrome
50	Climb To Me	Pattern is Movement
49	Paris	Little Dragon
48	Sacred	Erasure
47	Crumbler	Jungle
46	Capitol	TR/ST
45	Close Your Eyes (and Count To Fuck)	Run The Jewels
44	I Try To Talk To You	Hercules & Love Affair
43	Mess On A Mission	Liars
42	Love Stops Here	The Juan MacLean
41	Uptight Downtown	La Roux
40	Heavy Seas of Love	Damon Albarn
39	Feels Like Fire	Ryan Adams
38	Boys In Her Fanclub	Sweet Apple
37	Don't Wanna	Howler
36	Dynamo	Johnny Marr
35	Milwaukee	The Both
34	Weightless	Neneh Cherry
33	In Infancy	Museum of Love
32	Do It Again	Royksopp & Robyn
31	Uptown Funk	Mark Ronson
30	Dress Up	School Of Language
29	A Million Voices	Engineers
28	Time Between	Bear In Heaven
27	Faust	I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness
26	Gouge	Eternal Summers
25	fuckmylife666	Against Me!
24	Godiva	Eugene McGuinness
23	I Don't Know You Anymore	Bob Mould
22	Sprinkles	We Are Scientists
21	Tough Luck	Eagulls
20	Long Hair	Drowners
19	Happy Idiot	TV On The Radio
18	Rimbaud Eyes	Dum Dum Girls
17	Do You	Spoon
16	New York Morning	Elbow
15	Digital Witness	St. Vincent
14	Can't Do Without You	Caribou
13	It's Been So Long	Toy
12	Dripping	Blonde Redhead
11	The Bullfighter Dies	Morrissey
10	Doves	Future Islands
9	Anywhere	Interpol
8	Broken Glass Park	Simple Minds
7	Got Well Soon	Breton
6	Treat	Kasabian
5	Unkinder (A Tougher Love)	Thumpers
4	The Mistakes	Army Navy
3	A Simple Beautiful Truth	Wild Beasts
2	Like An Animal	Cymbals
1	So Now You Know	The Horrors

Top 100 Albums of 2014

So I was only going to do a top 50 this year.

My list honestly started as a top 50 this year.

As with every year, the top 50 is really what was going to count this year.

People have been asking when I will be posting my top 100 this year.

I listened to a whole lot of cool new music again this year.

Looks like my list is a top 100 once again this year.

	Artist	Title
100	Nina Perrson	Animal Heart
99	Information Society	_hello world
98	Mogwai	Rave Tapes
97	Pure X	Angel
96	ceo	Wonderland
95	Beck	Morning Phase
94	Sweet Apple	The Golden Age of Glitter
93	The Pains of Being Pure At Heart	Days of Abandon
92	FKA Twigs	Lp1
91	Hercules & Love Affair	The Feast Of The Broken Heart
90	Tricky	Adrian Thaws
89	The New Pornographers	Brill Bruisers
88	Neil Finn	Dizzy Heights
87	Clap Your Hands Say Yeah	Only Run
86	Maximo Park	Too Much Information
85	Pattern Is Movement	Pattern Is Movement
84	Hospitality	Trouble
83	Pharoahe Monche	PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
82	EMA	The Future's Void
81	New Build	Pour It On
80	Bryan Ferry	Avonmore
79	Samaris	Silkidrangar
78	Phantogram	Voices
77	Tycho	Awake
76	Temples	Sun Structures
75	Philip Selway	Weatherhouse
74	Theophilus London	Vibes
73	Alt-J	This Is All Yours
72	Monomyth	Saturnalia Regalia!
71	Young Liars	Tidal Wave
70	Merchandise	After The End
69	Ryan Adams	Ryan Adams
68	Lust For Youth	International
67	Fear Of Men	Loom
66	I Break Horses	Chiaroscuro
65	Jessie Ware	Tough Love
64	White Hex	Gold Nights
63	The Drums	Encyclopedia
62	Her Name Is Calla	Navigator
61	Lana Del Rey	Ultraviolence
60	Zoot Woman	Star Climbing
59	Kasabian	48:13
58	Echo & The Bunnymen	Meteorites
57	Blonde Redhead	Barragan
56	The War On Drugs	Lost In The Dream
55	Run The Jewels	Run The Jewels 2
54	TR/ST	Joyland
53	Drowners	Drowners
52	Todd Terje	It's Album Time
51	School Of Language	Old Fears
50	Johnny Marr	Playland
49	Asgeir	In The Silence
48	Sohn	Tremors
47	Little Dragon	Nabuma Rubberband
46	Engineers	Always Returning
45	A Sunny Day In Glasgow	Sea When Absent
44	GusGus	Mexico
43	Lamb	Backspace Unwind
42	JJ	V
41	Aphex Twin	Syro
40	Toy	Join The Dots
39	Royksopp	The Inevitable End
38	Thom Yorke	Tomorrow's Modern Boxes
37	TV On The Radio	Seeds
36	Spoon	They Want My Soul
35	Wildcat! Wildcat!	No Moon At All
34	Elbow	The Take Off & Landing of Everything
33	Teledrome	Teledrome
32	Bob Mould	Beauty & Ruin
31	Black Submarine	New Shores
30	The Acid	Liminal
29	Eugene McGuinness	Chroma
28	Damon Albarn	Everyday Robots
27	Warpaint	Warpaint
26	Erasure	The Violet Flame
25	The Juan Maclean	In A Dream
24	Neneh Cherry	Blank Project
23	Eagulls	Eagulls
22	Museum Of Love	Museum Of Love
21	St. Vincent	St. Vincent
20	I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness	Dust
19	Against Me!	Transgender Dysphoria Blues
18	Jungle	Jungle
17	Simple Minds	Big Music
16	We Are Scientists	Tv En Francais
15	Interpol	El Pintor
14	La Roux	Trouble In Paradise
13	Caribou	Our Love
12	Dum Dum Girls	Too True
11	The Horrors	Luminous
10	Morrissey	World Peace Is None of Your Business
9	Patterns	Waking Lines
8	Liars	Mess
7	Breton	War Room Stories
6	Future Islands	Singles
5	Thumpers	Galore
4	Cymbals	The Age Of Fracture
3	Bear In Heaven	Time Is Over One Day Old
2	Army Navy	The Wilderness Inside
1	Wild Beasts	Present Tense

Top 100 Songs Of 2013

This was a whole lot of fun this year. It is always fun, but there were a lot of great songs released in 2013. So many artists embracing melody in simplistic yet often fascinating ways. I am always astounded by how musicians can continue to engage listeners when it sometimes feels like everything has been done before.

My take on the best songs in 2013 sticks pretty close to the annual gathering and compiling event of previous years. I like music that's listenable, compact, well crafted, honest, and more often than not just really fun. Lots of guitar pop, synth pop, and post-punk stuff here as always.

As I talk with other music nerd friends about the music year that was (or will be shortly), there is some consensus that there were very few clear runaway albums or songs in 2013. You could almost describe it as a tight race, where on certain days based on mood you could flip a coin and arrive at your favourite, or the best in class. I am certain I have quietly flip flopped already on a few of my top 5 choices over at my Top 100 Albums Of 2013 list.

There were also some extremely strong albums, that did not lend themselves to easily carved out "top songs" or singles. Albums by The Knife and Goldfrapp come to mind. Challenging and thoroughly rewarding listens as full albums, but more strong in the sum of their parts and as full works than isolated tracks. Hence why some of those heavyweights are not represented on my songs list.

For Rdio users and subscribers out there, I have also compiled these songs as a playlist. Five of the songs listed below are currently unavailable on Rdio, so as with last year, I have tacked a few extras on the end to make up the full 100.

Please feel free to check it out and subscribe to the playlist here.

So here goes. No real caveats, other than the standard acknowledgement that big lists are fun, and take a lot of time, but everyone knows taste is personal and sequencing is arbitrary after about the first thirty entries :)

100	Editors	A Ton Of Love
99	Minor Alps	If I Wanted Trouble
98	Beastmilk	Death Reflects Us
97	Boy George	King of Everything
96	Arctic Monkeys	Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High
95	Matthew Good	Arrows of Desire
94	Girls Names	A Second Skin
93	Xander Harris	Night Fortress
92	Gauntlet Hair	Heave
91	John Grant	Sensitive New Age Guy
90	Asif Illyas	Electrical
89	Soviet Soviet	Ecstasy
88	Shout Out Louds	Illusions
87	Arcade Fire	It's Never Over (Hey Orpheus)
86	White Lies	Mother Tongue
85	LULS	Never Let It Go
84	Weekend	Siobhan
83	The Dismemberment Plan	Living In Song
82	Sigur Ros	Isjaki
81	Of Montreal	Triumph Of Disintegration
80	The Black Hollies	Unless It's My Imagination
79	These New Puritans	Fragment Two
78	The Hunt	Fifteen Minutes
77	Annie	Hold On
76	Savages	She Will
75	David Bowie	Valentine's Day
74	Midnight Juggernauts	Systematic
73	Phantogram	The Day You Died
72	Mind Spiders	Suicide
71	Brendan Benson	Rejuvenate Me
70	Holograms	Attestupa
69	Kurt Vile	KV Crimes
68	Frankie & The Heartstrings	Nothing Our Way
67	Rogue Wave	College
66	The Love Language	Calm Down
65	Little Boots	Satellite
64	Warpaint	Love Is To Die
63	The KVB	Human
62	Cults	I Can Hardly Make You Mine
61	The Naked and Famous	Hearts Like Ours
60	Paper Lions	Bodies In The Winter
59	Body Language	Just Because
58	Franz Ferdinand	Treason! Animals.
57	By Divine Right	No One Can Fix Me
56	KA	Off The Record
55	Coasts	Oceans
54	The Grapes of Wrath	Paint You Blue
53	Hilotrons	Runaway Heart
52	Vampire Weekend	Everlasting Arms
51	Anna Calvi	Piece By Piece
50	Chvrches	Recover
49	Visage	Never Enough
48	Johnny Marr	Upstarts
47	Sulk	Flowers
46	!!!	One Girl / One Boy
45	Frankie Rose	You For Me
44	Pet Shop Boys	Thursday
43	The National	Don't Swallow The Cap
42	Janelle Monae	Q.U.E.E.N.
41	Queens Of The Stone Age	I Sat By The Ocean
40	Everything Everything	Duet
39	The 1975	The City
38	Shad	Stylin
37	St. Lucia	Elevate
36	Hollerado	Pick Me Up
35	Divine Fits	Ain't That The Way
34	Sebastien Grainger	Going With You
33	Jagwar Ma	That Loneliness
32	Dutch Uncles	Fester
31	Paramore	Ain't It Fun
30	Local Natives	Black Balloons
29	Classixx	Holding On
28	Telekinesis	Power Lines
27	Phoenix	Trying To Be Cool
26	Lorde	Team
25	Superchunk	Me & You & Jackie Mittoo
24	The Limousines	Bedbugs
23	Polvo	Light, Raking
22	Holy Ghost!	Dance A Little Closer
21	Suuns	Bambi
20	Gary Numan	Love Hurt Bleed
19	Atlas Genius	Electric
18	Wavves	Demon To Lean On
17	Jamie Lidell	Big Love
16	Primal Scream	Invisible City
15	Daft Punk	Get Lucky
14	Disclosure	When A Fire Starts
13	Haim	Falling
12	Crocodiles	She Splits Me Up
11	Blood Orange	You're Not Good Enough
10	Cayucas	Highschool Lover
9	Cut Copy	In Memory Capsule
8	Junip	Your Life Your Call
7	Empire Of The Sun	Ice On The Dune
6	OMD	Night Cafe
5	Suede	Hit Me
4	Baths	Miasma Sky
3	Miles Kane	Better Than That
2	Mikal Cronin	Shout It Out
1	Foals	My Number